Hinge check and hold-open



Nov. 12, 1957 c. H. scHAMx-:L ETAL 2,812,538

HINGE CHECK .mb HOLD-OPEN Filed Aug. 25, 1954 2 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTORS BY addawaz Filed Aug. 25, 1954 A 2 sneets-sheet-z NOV- l12, 1957 cqrH. sci -IAMEL :TAL 2,812,538

HINGE CHECK AND HoLD-PEN United States Patent HINGE CHECK AND HOLD-GPEN Clyde H. Sichamel, Royal Oak, and Claud S. Semar,

Birmingham, Mich., assignors to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Deiaware Application August 25, 1954, Serial No. 452,179

Claims. (Cl. 16-142) This invention relates to a hinge check and hold-open, and more particularly to a door hinge check and holdopen for an automobile.

One feature of the invention is that it provides an improved door hinge check and hold-open; another feature of the invention is that it provides Va hinge check and hold-open having a U-shaped check and hold-open member with opposite resilient arms straddling the hinge strap; another feature of the invention is that the resilient arms of the hold-open member are loosely mounted on the hinge box so that the hold-open member is movable upon engagement of said arms with the hinge strap to align the hold-open member with the strap; yet a further feature of the invention is that the arms of the hold-open member have outwardly turned lugs and the hinge box walls have slots loosely receiving the lugs for loosely mounting the hold-open member on the hinge box between the walls thereof; and an additional feature of the invention is thatthere is a resilient sleeve on the hold-open member providing anti-rattle means in all positions of the parts and providing a cushion for engagement by the hinge strap in the hold-open position.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and from the drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a horizontal section through a portion of an automobile body and door embodying the novel check and hold-open structure, the door being shown in closed position;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section similar to Fig. 1 but With the door being shown in open position in solid lines and in an over-travel or extreme limit position in broken lines;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the hinge box with the hold-open member mounted thereon; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the hinge box and hold-open member along the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Dean Patent No. 2,342,531, which issued February 22, 1944, shows a combined door hinge and hold-open including separate springk clips riveted or otherwise iinmovably mounted on each wall of the hinge box. hinge strap moves into engagement with these clips when the door is swung open, and obliquely arranged shoulders on the spring clips provide a resilient hold-open for holding the door in open position. In this patent, there are two separate clips, and each clip is immovably mounted on the hinge box. The clips do not provide a limit stop for the door.

A hold-open device similar to the present invention is shown, but not claimed, in the copending application of Claud S. Semar, led March 30, 1953, as Serial No. 345,309 and entitled Torque Rod Door Counterbalance.

This invention provides an improvement over the structure of the Dean patent in that there is only a single U-shaped hold-open member having opposite resilient arms which straddle the strap when the door is swung open, and lug and slot means are provided for loosely mounting the hold-open member on the hinge box to pro- The Patented Nov. 12,y 1957 lee vide for automatic alignment for the hold-open member upon engagement of the arms and the strap, despite misalignment of the hinge box or hinge strap. The base of the hold-open member provides a limit stop for the door. Furthermore, according to the invention, there is a resilient sleeve on the hold-open member providing antirattle means in all positions of the parts and providing a cushion for engagement by the strap in its terminal stop position.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, Figs. 1 and 2 show a fragment of an automobile door 10 having a door hinge pillar member in the form of a reinforcing strap 11 secured inside the door and extending across the jamb face thereof. The outer edge of the hinge pillar member is bent into a right angle ilange 12 which is clamped between a folded ange 13 at the outer" edge of the door. 14 represents the door window glass. The automobile body has a body pillar 16, the door 10 being mounted on thisk pillar by means of two spaced hinges. Since the hinges are alike, only one will Vbe described.

A gooseneck hinge strap 18 is mounted on the door 10 by means of screws 20 which extendV through the door panel, the door hinge pillar 11, and through a heavy reinforcing plate 22 on the inside surface of the pillar `11. The hinge strap projects through'an opening 24 inthe jamb face of the body pillar and is pivotally mounted on a pin 26 which is journaled between opposite walls 28 and 30 of a hinge box. This hinge box, which is generally indicated at32, is of U-shape, the opposite walls 28 and 30 forming the arms of the U and being connected by a base 34 which is secured to the automobile body on a bracket 36 welded to the body pillar 16. The securing means includes a screw 38 projecting through the bracket 36 into a threaded reinforcing and nut member 40.

Ineach ofV the opposite'hinge box walls 28, 30, there is an opening 42 for the reception of a torque rod counterbalance spring as more fully disclosed in Serial` No. 345,309, and in each wall there is an elongated slot 44 for a purpose to be hereinafter described. Eachv wall, at its Atop side, has an upstanding lug 46, the free end of which is bent inwardly at right angles to form a flange 48 as shown in Fig. 4.

Referring further to Fig. 4, a hold-open member designated generally as 5t) is formed in the shape of a U hav ing opposite resilient arms 52 and S4. Preferably, the opposite arms 52 and 54 are formed integrally with the base of the hold-open member, and the entire member is made of spring steel. The arms 52 and 54 are bowed toward each other as shown at 58 in Fig.y 4 to form portions in the path of movement of the hinge strap 18, and each bowed portion is formed with an oblique shoulder 6i? for engaging the strap 18 to provide yieldable holdopen means.

inthe past, it has been conventional to bolt or in some other manner to xedly secure the hold-open member to the hinge box as shown in Dean Patent 2,342,531. If misalignment occurs between the hinge box and the hinge strap, the hold-open member may not function properly. According to this invention, the holdopen member is loosely mounted in the hinge box so that it will automatically align itself with the hinge strap despite possible misalignment of the hinge strap or the hinge box; The free. end of each of the arms 52, 54 of the hold-open member has turned outwardly therefrom a lug 62. In order to mount the hold-open member within the hinge box, it is merely necessary to squeeze the arms 52, 54 together slightly and place the hold-open member in the hinge box with the lugs 62 opposite the slots 44. Upon releasing the arms, the lugs 62 will enter the slots 44 so that the hold-open member is loosely mounted on the hinge box in the space between the opposite Walls thereof. Each slot 44'is wider, and also preferably longer, than each lug 62 so that thelugs tit loosely inthe slots.-

The base of the hold-open member has a center offset portion 66 (Fig. 4) whichprojects into the space between thetianges 48- on thehinge box walls, and-thisolset portionis ankedby shoulder portions 64. A rubber sleeve 68 is mountedr on-each ofthe shoulder portionsfleproviding anti-rattle means in all positions of the parts vand,

providing a cushion for engagement by the flanges 48vof the hinge box. When the hold-open member 5 0A is mounted,V on thehinge box the sleeves 68 are compressed slightly by engagement with the flanges 48.

When the door is swung open, the hinge strap 18` moves toward'the base of the hold-open member between the arms 52,n 54, which straddle Vthe strap. During this'movement, the strap 18 cams over the oblique shoulders 60 so that-the-` door is` held `yieldably in open position with the strap engaging thebase portion of the oblique shoulders 60 andA engaging the cushioning sleeve 68. The shoulder 64 of the base of the hold-open member provides a limit stop for the door and the resilient sleeveV 68 provides a cushion by engagement with flanges 48 on the hinge box. Since these lianges are of relatively heavy rigid steel, there is no possibilityA that force exerted on the hinge strap by leverage ofthe door will pull the lugs 62 on the hold-open member out of the slots 44 on the hinge box. Since the hold-open member is free to iloat by reason of the lug and slot mounting means, there may be considerable misalignment of the hinge strap 18 without adversely affecting the operation of the device and the hold-open member will automatically align itself with the hinge strap; The hold-open spring 50 is under compression at all times between the lug and slot coupling and the engagement of the rubber sleeves of the hinge vbox ange 48,' so that the rubber sleeve acts as an anti-rattle device.

While we have shown and 'described one embodiment of ourinvention, it is capable of many modications. Changes, therefore, inthe construction and arrangement maybe made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

We claim: y

1. A door hinge hold-open of the character described, including: a hinge box having spaced opposite generally parallel walls, a hinge strap pivotally mounted on'said box for swinging movement between terminal door open and door closed positions, said strap having a first portion which swings in the space between said walls between door open and door closed positions, anda second; portion extendingbeyond said walls for connection to a'door,

and said walls having similar oppositely disposed elongated slots therein spaced from the pivotal mounting of said strap and located in the walls between the terminal positions of'said first strap portion, said slots extending lengthwise in a direction generally parallel to the first portion of said strap when said strap is` in door open position; a U-shaped hold-open member having a base and opposite resilient arms each terminating at its end remote from the base in a turned lug the thickness of which is less than the width of the slot, each lug being loosely received in one of said slots for loosely mounting said member in the space between said walls so that the arms of said member straddle said tirst portion of the strap when said strap is in door open position, the major portion of said arms being spaced apart a distance greater than the width of said'rst strap `portion and said arms each having a detent projecting inwardly in the hinge box into the path ofswinging movement'of the strap as the strap approaches door open position, the loose lug and slot mounting allowingA lateral and4 transverse shifting' movement of the hold-open member upon engagement of said strap with said detent portions whereby said member centers itself with respect to the strap.

2. Apparatus of the character claimed in claim l, wherein said arms are bowed toyvard each other to form said detents projectingr into thepath of movement of the strap.

3. Apparatus ofthe charaten claimed-,in claim` l, wherein said arms are;bow,ed-towardtyeachotherto form said detents projectingintothe, path ofswinging-movement ofthe` strap, each bowed portion beingformed with an oblique shoulder intermediate its ends facing toward vsaid base and the strap. riding; oyenY said 'shoulders to provide yieldable hold-open means.

4. A door hinge check and hold-open of the character described, including; a hinge box having spaced opposite generally parallel'walls, aV hinge strappivotally mounted on said box for swinging movement between terminal door openand door closed positions, said strap havinga rst portion which swings in the space between said walls between door open and door closed positions, and a second portion extending beyond said walls for connection to a door, kand said walls having similar oppositely disposed elongated slots therein spaced from the pivotal mounting ofpsaid strap and located in the walls between the terminal positions of said first strap portion, said slots extending lengthwise in a direction generallyl parallel to the rst portion of said strap when said strap is in door open position; a U-shaped hold-,open member having a base and opposite resilient'armseach terminating at its end remote from thebase in a turned lug the thickness of-which is less than the width ofthe slot, each lug being loosely received in one of said slots for loosely mounting said member in the space between said walls so that the arms of saidmember straddle said first portion of the strap when said strap is in door open position, the major portion of said arms being spaced apart a distance greater than the width of said rst strap portion and said arms each having a detent projecting inwardly in the hinge box into the path of swinging movement of the strap as the strap approaches door open position, theloose lug` and slot mounting allowing lateral and transverse shifting movement of the hold-open member upon engagement of said strap with said detent portions whereby said member centers itself with respect to the strap, each wall of the hinge box having a right angular stop ange directed inwardly of the hinge box toward the opposite wall thereof and the base of said hold-open member lying closely adjacent said tlanges for abutment therewith when the strap engages the base in door openposition to provide a positive door check.

5. Apparatus of the character claimed in claim 4, including arubber sleeve encircling the base to provide a cushion.

References Cited lin the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,668,716 Herdman May 8, 1928 2,314,416 Muldoon Mar. 23, 1943 2,322,933 Harmon June 29, 1943 2,342,531 Dean Feb. 22, 1944 2,364,437 Gessler Dec. 5, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS 706,250 G reat Britain .I ,Ma r. 24, 1954 

